14
FRIDAY, APRIL 26, 1985
TURNING TO HONG KONG'S RECORD IN COMBATING COUNTERFEITING, MR DORWARD POINTED OUT THAT BETWEEN 1978 AND 1984, INVESTIGATIONS OF COUNTERFEITING CASES GREW FOUR-FOLD TO ALMOST 900, WHILE
DURING THAT PROSECUTIONS ROSE BY EIGHT TIMES TO MORE THAN 400. PERIOD, 43 PRISON SENTENCES WERE IMPOSED.
HE SAID THAT TRADE ESTIMATES IN 1973 SHOWED MORE THAN 90 PER CENT OF MUSIC TAPES AND RECORDS SOLD IN HONG KONG WERE COUNTERFEIT. BY 1978, AFTER SEIZURES OF HALF A MILLION ITEMS AND PROSECUTION OF 36 MANUFACTURERS, THE ILLICIT TRADE HAD ALL BUT VANISHED.
+TODAY AT LEAST 99 PER CENT OF THE RECORDINGS SOLD ARE GENUINE. SIMILAR SUCCESSES HAVE NIPPED VIDEO PIRACY MORE OR LESS IN THE BUD AND A SPECIAL PLAQUE FROM THE MOTION PICTURE ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA ACKNOWLEDGES THIS EFFORT, HE SAID.
MR DORWARD ALSO SAID HONG KONG CUSTOMS HAD RECEIVED TWO GOLD RECORD AWARDS IN RECOGNITION OF THEIR EFFORTS AGAINST COUNTERFEITING, ONE FROM THE INTERNATIONAL FEDERATION OF PRODUCERS OF PHONOGRAMS AND VIDEOGRAMS, AND THE OTHER FROM THE RECORDING INDUSTRY ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA.
GOVT DETERMINED TO WIPE OUT COUNTERFEITING
*******
THE GOVERNMENT IS DETERMINED TO ERADICATE COUNTERFEITING AND THE TRADE IN COUNTERFEIT GOODS FROM BOTH THE LOCAL MARKET AND THE IMPORT AND EXPORT TRADE TO PROTECT THE INTERESTS OF CONSUMERS, TRADEMARK OWNERS AND LEGITIMATE TRADERS, MR JOHN HOWARD, HEAD OF THE TRADE INVESTIGATION BUREAU OF THE CUSTOMS AND EXCISE DEPARTMENT, SAID TODAY (FRIDAY).
HE URGED TRADEMARK OWNERS TO GIVE THEIR CONTINUED SUPPORT AND CO-OPERATION IN THIS ASPECT.
1
MR HOWARD WAS SPEAKING AFTER HE RECEIVED A PLAQUE AND A BANNER FROM THE MANAGING DIRECTOR OF THE WEST GERMAN FIRM PUMA FAR EAST LTD., MR ROLF H. STOCKHORST. AND THE GENERAL MANAGER OF HWA KAY THAI DEVELOPMENT CO. LTD., MR CHARLES S.K. LEUNG RESPECTIVELY, FOR THE BUREAU'S SUCCESSFUL OPERATIONS AGAINST COUNTERFEIT GOODS INFRINGING THE +PUMA+ TRADEMARK.
IN THE FIRST QUARTER OF THIS YEAR, OFFICERS OF THE BUREAU CARRIED OUT 268 OPERATIONS AGAINST COUNTERFEIT MERCHANDISE AND SEIZED GOODS WORTH ABOUT $4 MILLION.
/ONE HUNDRED